Category Archives: News

MIAMI, United States — The Greenland ice sheet is likely to melt faster in the years to come, despite a recent slowdown, researchers said Wednesday after making a new discovery about the way glaciers move.

Greenland contains enough ice to make the sea level mount 23 feet (seven meters) if it were to melt completely.

The findings in the journal Science Advances show that ice in Greenland moves more quickly over sediment than hard rock.

That means that as the world warms due to climate change, ice flow will likely speed up because the sediment beneath Greenland will become weaker, wetter and more slippery.

Uber was forced to suspend operations in the Philippines Tuesday, after the ride-sharing giant’s efforts to appeal a one-month ban were quashed as it tussles with authorities over driver permits. The US firm had slammed Monday’s decision by transport authorities to impose the sanctions as a “blatant violation” of its rights earlier Tuesday, relaunching its […]

China has assured the Philippines it will not occupy new features or territory in the South China Sea, under a new “status quo” brokered by Manila as both sides try to strengthen their relations, the Philippine defence minister said. Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano also said the Philippines was working on a “commercial deal” […]

The Philippine central bank is prepared to raise interest rates if it sees signs the economy is growing too fast, even as it tolerates a weaker currency for now, according to Governor Nestor Espenilla. “That’s always on the table,” he said in an interview in Singapore on Tuesday. “When you do start jacking up interest […]

The Philippines is considering potential ways to jointly develop oil and gas resources with China in a disputed part of the South China Sea, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano. Any joint ventures would conform to Philippine law and wouldn’t lead to the loss of Philippine territory, Cayetano told a House of Representatives […]

Raids near Manila result in single largest death toll in one night of operations in ongoing campaign that has killed thousands Philippine police have killed 32 people in a series of raids near the capital Manila in the bloodiest night of president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Duterte won a landslide victory in presidential elections […]

CITY OF MALOLOS — Eleven more suspects were killed as a 24-hour drug operation in Bulacan province ended on Tuesday night, bringing the number of fatalities to 32.

It was the most number of drug personalities slain in a day in what Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., provincial police director, described as “uncontrollable situations” in operations that have mostly turned into kill or be killed situations.

The police operations, however, have drawn support from lawyers in Bulacan.

“It’s better to see 20 drug addicts dead than see 20 innocent women or children raped and killed,” said lawyer Jose de la Rama, Central Luzon governor of the I…

The Duterte administration’s ambitious “Build, Build, Build” program may not be completed if Congress will not pass the proposed comprehensive tax reform program, Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III said.

Dominguez told senators during a briefing on the proposed P3.77-trillion national budget for 2018 that the government was planning to spend more than P1 trillion for infrastructure projects next year and a total of up to P9 trillion until 2022.

To finance the higher requirement for infrastructure spending, the government will source the bulk or 80 percent of the funds locally while tapping multilateral lenders as well as development partners such as China and Japan for the r…

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is looking into possible alignment issues between a private sector-proposed toll road and a separate road project it is planning in Metro Manila, its top official said.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said the DPWH was reviewing the C3 Elevated Expressway project of SM Investments Corp. and Ayala Corp., noting that “there might be some conflict in the alignment.”

“We have our own C-3 project going to Makati,” Villar said, adding the Ayala and SM consortium would be asked to submit additional requirements.

The P23.7-billion C3 Elevated Expressway would stretch 8.6 kilometers. It was jointly proposed to the DPWH by…

“Sabihin mo, ‘Pulis, barilin mo na ‘yang kasali diyan’ (Tell them, ‘Police, shoot those who are part of it’). If they are obstructing justice, you shoot them,” said Duterte on Wednesday, August 16.“Para makita talaga kung anong klaseng human right (So they can really see the kinds of human rights),” he added. (READ: Human rights in Duterte’s 1st year: Where do we go from here?)

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Wednesday said Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Andres Bautista should seriously consider quitting his post after his credibility was tainted by the allegations of illegal wealth leveled against him by his estranged wife.

The House leader also said Patricia Cruz-Bautista, having “personal knowledge” of her husband’s finances, was well within her right to file an impeachment complaint over allegations the Comelec head had amassed nearly P1 billion in undeclared assets.

Asked in a television interview if the election chief should stay in office, Alvarez said: “I think Chairman Bautista should consider that (resigni…

The driver of the cement mixer that toppled over and flattened a car on Tuesday afternoon in Quezon City faces charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property with homicide and multiple physical injuries.

The accident which happened on the northbound lane of Mindanao Avenue left a person dead and four others, mostly children, injured.

Ulysses Ramos, 35, who was driving the white Honda Brio, was declared dead on arrival at a hospital. His wife Marife and children Eulariza, 12; Eugene, 8; and Enrico, 4, suffered injuries.

The driver of the cement mixer, 27-year-old Jayson Muleta, underwent inquest proceedings in the Quezon…

SAN FRANCISCO — Under overcast skies the 24th Pistahan weekend started with the traditional parade on Market Street, from City Hall to the Yerba Buena Gardens site of the festival.

A short program led by Parade director John Espiritu and Filipino American Arts Exposition (FAAE) President Al Perez introduced this year’s Hermano and Hermana Mayor Philippine San Francisco Deputy Consul-General (DCG) Jaime Ramon Ascalon and wife, Cecile, Parade Grand Marshall San Mateo County 5th district Supervisor David Canepa, among other dignita…

LOS ANGELES — Filipino American actor Rodney To is directing playwright Boni Alvarez’s comedy “Fixed,” an adaptation of Spanish writer Pedro Calderon’s “The Physician of His Own Honor.” “Fixed” will be staged by Echo Theater Company in September.

Alvarez’s adaptation features massage therapists who work at the House of Malacaang Massage in Los Angeles’ Historic Filipinotown.

One of the therapists, trans-woman Miracles Malacaang, enters into a forbidden love affair that soon catches the attention of the city’s hottest political family and prompts her to re-evaluate her desires, identity and honor.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Philippine Embassy has announced the sixth batch of the Filipino Young Leaders Program delegates who will participate in the weeklong, expenses-paid Immersion Program to the Philippines.

The delegates are:

Marjorie Baltazar (Chicago, Illinois)

Baltazar, a staunch advocate for immigrant rights, is the Principal of Baltazar Global LLC, a business immigration law firm aimed at making sophisticated immigration services simple and accessible. Prior to launching her firm, Marjorie spent nearly 10 years practicing immigration with a large international law firm. She has assisted a diverse range of clients in developing creative and sound legal strategies …

Two Filipino singers have made it into the final lineup of Fox Networks Group’s “Bolt of Talent,” a seven-week reality talent search, which will have popular American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton scouring Asia for gifted music artists.

Competing with six other aspirants from Thailand, Malaysia and Taiwan are: Lance Busa, a bar singer who previously joined GMA 7’s “To the Top” tilt; and Hans Dimayuga, a singer-songwriter who made it into battle rounds of “The Voice of the Philippines” Season 1, as part of Sarah Geronimo’s team.

Rigorous music challenges

The contestants will compete in rigorous music challenges, and will be coached a…

LOS ANGELES—He was flat broke in LA, deep in debt, sleeping in a friend’s couch that turned out to be infested with bedbugs. “We Filipinos are really great about keeping a positive attitude … We’re survivors!” exclaimed Nico Santos, who overcame the hurdles and now stars as Mateo Fernando Aquino Liwanag in NBC’s comedy series, “Superstore.”

Nico has landed the Oliver T’sien role in Jon M. Chu’s much-anticipated adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s 2013 bestselling novel of the same name, “Crazy Rich Asians.”

Also in the ensemble cast are Kris Aquino, who makes a cameo appearance as a Malay princess guest in the story’s pivotal wed…

Unlike many new TV shows that merely freshen up old program formats that have clicked with viewers for many years, the MTV production, “Catfish,” rides the new social media craze.

Its resident host-investigators use their plugged-in expertise in the new media to be of help to hapless victims of the nefarious scam called “catfishing”—described as a “type of deceptive activity involving a person creating a ‘sock puppet’ social networking presence for illicit purposes.”

In other words, “catfishing” scammers use social media to achieve nefarious personal and financial objectives.

Malaysia’s sports minister admitted Wednesday there were “glitches” with preparations for the Southeast Asian Games after a report said a key venue was not ready and fans had trouble getting into a football game.

The Malay Mail Online reported that the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre needed a lot of work as it was only handed over to organizers two days ago, while spectators faced problems getting into Monday’s Malaysia-Brunei match.

“There are some glitches here and there, we are taking care of that now,” Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin told reporters, adding that overall the picture was “so far so good”.

LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May has criticized President Donald Trump’s remarks blaming “both sides” in weekend violence between white supremacists and counter-demonstrators in Virginia, declaring that there’s “no equivalence” between the two groups.

Britain’s leader, speaking in Portsmouth on Wednesday at the unveiling of the nation’s new aircraft carrier, rebuffed Trump’s comments, underscoring that she saw “no equivalence between those who propound fascist views and those who oppose them.”

She did not criticize the US president by name, but said it was incumbent upon leaders to counter far-right views “wherever we hear them.”

The Water Defenders found redemption in the Open Conference, just two months after losing to the Lady Warriors in a do-or-die Game 3 in the Reinforced Conference Finals.

“We went through a lot. When we started the conference, we almost didn’t make it to the semis. When we entered the semis, we lost the first game and we almost didn’t make the finals but again the girls persevered,” said BaliPure head coach Roger Gorayeb.

Public Works Secretary Mark Villar on Wednesday said the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is trying its best to reach the poorest regions and provinces for infrastructure programs.

Villar made this statement during the House of Representatives appropriations committee’s deliberation on the DPWH’s proposed 2018 budget, which Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate criticized as having too little allotment for poorer regions and provinces.

Hyeri of Girl’s Day and actor Ryu Jun-yeol, the leads in popular tvN drama “Reply 1988,” confirmed Wednesday they are engaged in a romantic relationship.

A local media outlet reported earlier in the day that the two stars had started dating by the end of last year after starring in the show together. The report also released photos of the two spotted during three secret meetings.

Hyeri and Ryu’s agencies were quick to confirm the report.

“Hyeri and Ryu Jun-yeol developed their friendship to a relationship and have been dating. As they started dating recently, please watch them with warm attention,” Hyeri’s agency DreamT Entertainment said in a s…

Veteran journalist Tony Calvento gave Kapamilya comedian Vice Ganda only until today, Wednesday, to issue a public apology following a supposed insult of the comedian on him.

In a Facebook post last August 14, an enraged Calvento boldly warned the TV host that “If I don’t get the personal apology from him, not read by someone, I will make my move.I will wait till Wednesday.”

In reaction to Calvento, Vice Ganda issued an apology through a letter read by “It’s Showtime” co-host Billy Crawford last Saturday. Calvento, however, did not accept it because apparently, it was “read by someone” and not Vice Ganda himself.

Despite being rejected by the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, outgoing Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said she was proud to say that she has served the people and that her “integrity remains intact.”

“I have served the people well. I gave my all and I am proud to say that my integrity remains intact and I have never want to lose sight of the people I have sworn to serve with full fidelity and courage,” Taguiwalo said in a press conference at the Senate shortly after the CA rejected her appointment.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetanoon Wednesdayallayed the fears of Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano regarding the presence ofChinese Navy and Coast Guard vessels as well as maritime militia in the northern part of Pag-asa Island.

Cayetano held a press conference at the House of Representatives where he is attending a series of committee hearings to brief lawmakers in closed-door sessions about talks for a joint exploration deal with China over the South China Sea.

Abigail’s* long-time passion for baking gave way to a lucrative pastry business that she started five years ago. Just like any other entrepreneur, she yearns to eventually bring her business to the next level.

She loves taking risks, she is bursting with incredible ideas, she is full of energy, she is willing to delegate, and she has that unshakeable belief in her entrepreneurial skills, and more importantly, in her products. She knows that she is ready to expand her business!

Caution, however, has this annoying habit of making its presence known when one least expects it.

An increasingly persistent inner voice keeps telling Abigail that expanding too quickly may lead to gro…

The order was served by Solicitor General Jose Calida and the court sheriff on Sunvar and other tenants of Mile Long. They were given three days from Tuesday to vacate the premises.

In its official statement, Sunvar said it will comply with the order of the Court of Appeals and that it has instructed its lawyers not to file any court pleading that may impede the execution of the earlier decision of the Metropolitan Trial Court ordering Sunvar to vacate Mile Long….

After days of building, footballer David Beckham surprised netizens when he unveiled a LEGO castle especially made for his daughter Harper.
Looking somewhat tired yet triumphant, the topless Beckham wrote on the caption,”1am done… Someone’s gonna have a nice surprise in the morning.”
Modeled after the Disney castle, this elaborate set is composed of at least 4,000 pieces and can cost as much as 299.99 (almost P20,000).

Beckham began his project shortly after sharing a photo of himself mulling over the instructions while sitting on a sun-lounger.”Page 1 of the Disney castle, 4000 pieces 490 pages of instructions I look confused but I’m so excited,” he wrote on the caption.

A kerosene lamp flickers beside a Macbook in a jungle camp as ageing Philippine communist leader Jaime Padilla plots the next step in one of Asia’s oldest insurgencies with a new generation of fighters.

Fuelled by one of the world’s starkest rich-poor divides, a Maoist rebellion that began months before the first human landed on the moon plods on even though the country now boasts one of the world’s fastest-growing economies.

“There’s a big pool of young people who will pursue the people’s war even if it takes us a hundred or more years,” 70-year-old Padilla, one of the Philippines’ most-wanted men, said at a rare news conference for a small group of reporte…

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan’s economy minister has resigned after a generator failure at a power plant caused a massive blackout that affected millions of households across the island during sweltering heat.

The power outage plunged traffic, shopping malls and offices into darkness early Tuesday evening paralyzing almost all of the business operations.

Expect the House of Representatives to start deliberations on the impeachment bid against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno after the Supreme Court granted the release of pertinent documents cited in the complaint against her.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said this in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel on Wednesday when asked about the status of various impeachment complaints filed in the lower chamber.

LOS ANGELES—Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James reacted swiftly Tuesday to US President Donald Trump’s repeated claim that there was “blame on both sides” in the deadly racial unrest in Charlottesville.

“Hate has always existed in America. Yes we know that but Donald Trump just made it fashionable again!” James tweeted shortly after Trump angrily defended his controversial initial response to the white supremacist rally on Saturday that erupted in clashes with counter-demonstrators.

A suspected Nazi sympathizer plowed his car into a crowd of anti-racism demonstrators, leaving one woman dead and 19 injured.

Period poverty is real and affects women across the globe. When menstruatating, a normal occurrence in females, the items needed to cope with it become a point of privilege. Some women have to resort to various pitiful ways as sanitary pads can be expensive.

This is why Labor MSP (Member of the Scottish Parliament) is proposing that the government provide free sanitary products to its citizens. She said, “Access to sanitary products should be a basic right but sadly in Scotland we know not everyone can afford or obtain what they need.”

Her proposal includes imposing on school and universities to provide sanitary products to their s…

The property arm of conglomerate DMCI Holdings grew its first semester reservation sales by 80 percent year-on-year to P26.2 billion, hitting its full-year target way ahead of schedule on the back of strong demand from homebuyers.

DMCI Homes’ six-month sales performance – a record high for the semester and a welcome surprise for the property developer – was attributed to the double-digit growth in the number of residential and parking units sold during the first semester.

From 3,997, the number of residential units sold from December 2016 to June 2017 surged by 55 percent to 6,206. During the same period, total number of parking units sold rose 54 percent from 2,256 units to 3,…

Washington, United States — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday, after North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un postponed a threat to fire missiles towards the US territory of Guam, that Washington remains ready for talks.

But the top US diplomat said it would be up to Kim when such negotiations would begin, having previously insisted Pyongyang must demonstrate that it accepts it will have to give up its nuclear program.

“I have no response to his decisions at all at this time,” Tillerson said, when asked about Kim’s decision to hold off. “We continue to be interested in finding ways to get to dialogue, but that’s up to him.”

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The driver charged with killing a woman at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville was previously accused of beating his mother and threatening her with a knife, according to police records released Monday.

Samantha Bloom, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair, repeatedly called police about her son, James Alex Fields Jr., in 2010 and 2011, telling officers he was on medication to control his temper, transcripts from 911 calls show.

Fields, 20, is accused of ramming his car into a crowd of counter-protesters on Saturday in Charlottesville, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Fields, described by a former high school teacher as an admirer of Adolf…

Fighting between government-backed separatist rebels and pro-Islamic State militants have killed at least 25 people in the southern Philippines, the army said on Monday, as the military battles to restore order on the troubled island of Mindanao. Soldiers provided artillery support for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a Muslim rebel group with which the […]

The Philippines on Monday suspended the accreditation and operation of Uber [UBER.UL] for one month, in a decision that followed a government crackdown on unregistered drivers offering app-based ride-hailing services. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) did not give a reason for its decision, which came amid regulatory disputes with Uber and rival […]

Having granted free tuition at all public colleges and universities, the government of firebrand Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte wants them to be “drug free” as well. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) last week approved an order to allow all higher education institutions (HEIs) the ability to impose mandatory drug testing from 2018 in a […]

The Philippines on Sunday warned citizens not to kill or poach migratory birds that usually fly in from China, the possible source of a virus that triggered the Southeast Asian nation’s first outbreak of avian flu, to avoid worsening the situation. There has been no case of human transmission but the virus prompted a cull […]

While the probability of a missile from North Korea hitting the Philippines is “remote,” the military is on alert for any development, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brigadier general Restituto Padilla said on Monday. “Dadaan siya sa [The missile will pass through the] southern part [of] Japan, but not in any part of […]

Filipinos working and living abroad sent more money home in June, a three-month high of $2.47 billion, partly as the peso slid to nearly 11-year lows and in time for the opening of classes that month.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Nestor A. Espenilla Jr. also attributed the 5.7-percent increase in cash remittances last June from $2.33 billion a year ago to the continued deployment of overseas Filipino workers.

“The sustained increase in overseas Filipinos’ remittances was supported by stable demand for skilled Filipinos abroad. Preliminary data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration showed that for the period January to June 2017, the total number of deployed…

The local stock barometer yesterday retested the 8,000 mark, tracking mostly upbeat regional markets as jitters over North Korea waned.

The main-share Philippine Stock Exchange index added 47.29 points or 0.59 percent to close at the intra-day peak of 8,009.41.

Luis Gerardo Limlingan, managing director at Regina Capital Development, said Philippines stocks were “not out of the woods” despite trading on a positive note.

“With earnings season coming to an end, the (Philippine) second quarter GDP (gross domestic product) which will be announced on Thursday could make or break the index prior to the official start of ghost month,” Limlingan said.